HUNGARIANS MOVE TO LIMIT DISSENT

By HENRY KAMM, Special to the New York Times

Published: March 13, 1987

BUDAPEST, March 12—
Hungary is taking a tougher stand against leading figures of a small but vocal group of critics of the Communist regime who have ''gone too far'' and become ''insolent,'' according to an official with close ties to the Communist Party Central Committee.

The official's comments came in reply to questions about Government denials of exit permits for trips by at least three political opponents who signed an international appeal last October calling for the restoration of democracy in Eastern Europe. The appeal marked the 30th anniversary of the Hungarian uprising.

The document is believed to have aroused special irritation among Eastern European leaders because it was a rare example of international coordination among dissidents. The statement was signed by Poles, Czechoslovaks, East Germans and Rumanians, in addition to Hungarians, The official said the action against the Hungarian dissidents did not mean Hungary intended to revoke a policy that is often viewed as more tolerant than that of other Communist Governments.

''In the past we were more generous with dissidents than with other Hungarians because we do not want to create martyrs,'' he said. ''But after the opposition became more insolent and aggressive, we want to show that we can also be less pleasant.'' Underground Publications Seized

Two other actions by the Hungarian authorities indicated their stiffening attitude. On Wednesday, the police reportedly raided at least three Budapest apartments and confiscated large amounts of the underground publications known as samizdat. Unauthorized periodicals and books are produced and circulated at irregular intervals by separate but interlocking opposition circles.

No arrests were made and, if custom is followed, the editors will be fined about $200, or close to two months' wages for an average worker. The houses raided were those of Ottilia Solt, Gyorgy Gado and Jeno Nagy. All three were among the 55 Hungarian signers of the October appeal.

In another action, Hungary banned 13 books from a list submitted by West German publishers for a representative exhibition of their current books in Budapest and Szeged next May, according to official and publishing sources in West Germany reached by telephone.

Hans-Michael Fenderl, organizer of the exhibition on behalf of the West German publishing industry, said the prohibited books included works of Gyorgy Konrad, a leading Hungarian novelist who for 10 years has been unable to publish in his own country; Gyorgy Petri, a poet, and Miklos Haraszti, a social critic.

All signed the October appeal. The other banned authors included Andras Hegedus, Prime Minister until 1956 and now a critic of the regime, and two East German authors who published their works in West Germany. Mr. Fenderl said Hungarian officials had explained that the books were banned because the authors had not submitted their works to their German publishers through the official channels of their countries. Exit Visa Delayed

''The problem we face is that the Hungarians say if you insist on exhibiting those books, the whole exhibition will be canceled,'' Mr. Fenderl said.

Mr. Konrad, author of four of the prohibited works, said, ''I don't believe this kind of censorship supports the Hungarian claim of supporting the Helsinki spirit.''

Mr. Konrad has been facing unusual delay in obtaining an exit permit to attend a publishing conference in Amsterdam next week, but has not received a denial.

A similar unexplained delay in the case of Laszlo Rajk, son of a party leader executed after a Stalinist show trial, has been long enough to prevent his attending an event to which he had been invited. Mr. Rajk, an architect and artist, was to have taken part in a show of Hungarian artists that opened today in Lyons, France.

Another of those prevented from traveling, Miklos Vasarhelyi, a historian and press spokesman for Imre Nagy, executed Prime Minister of the 1956 revolutionary government, had been asked by the Culture Ministry to lecture next month at the Hungarian Academy in Rome.

But the ministry informed him that it had to cancel the lecture because he would not be allowed to travel.

A passport was refused to Sandor Racz, a factory worker and leader of the Budapest Labor Council during the uprising. Last December he was invited by the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to spend two months in the United States.

Mr. Racz was told that the life sentence he received in 1957 and from which he was granted amnesty in 1963 barred any travel. But the United States Embassy has been assured by high party officials that Mr. Racz will be issued a passport.